Vacuum paper feeder



Oct. 6, 1931. J. ZANETTI 1,825,765

VACUUM PAPER FEEDER l Filed Dec. 24, 1928 5 sheets-sheet 1 Jsejo Zane ZIl Oct. 6, 1931. J'. ZANETTI VACUUM PAPER FEEDER Filed Dec. 4, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -OQOO i Oct. 6, 1931. J. ZANETTI. 1,825,765

VACUUM PAPER FEEDER ,Filed Dec. 24, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sme/Moz Toss/blz Zane/fz.

ci a? @gw/m y Patented @et 193i UNrrsn ks'raTliz's Josnrn ZANnrrLor SAN raANcIsco, `critironivrn VACUUM Peraza FEEDER Application filed December 24, 1928. Serial 110.328,296."

rilhis inventionrelates to agvaeuum paper feeder and its object is to provide means whereby a'stack of paper willialways be kept at the proper heighttobe lifted a sheet at a time from the'pileto be deliveredto the table from which it passes toV a ruling machine;

n said apparatus in thepresent instance forms no part of the present invention.V i Y An objectofthepresent invention is to providegan automatically operating vacuum lifting `arm which will have the vacuum applied to only a few of its ports at a time,- but which Vwill be progressively removed from the vacuum and thereby cause the sheet to be dropped as soon as all of the ports 'of the arm have passed the fixed port from-which the air is withdrawn vby aA suitable pump, but which pump forms :no part of the present invention. c Y t Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby a pile of paper sheets will be kept at a very accurate height with respect to the arm which lifts the sheets olf the pile and delivers them to the ruling machine, thereby preventing the loss of a sheet,

and the consequent reduction in the production of the ruling by reason of such accidental missing of a sheet.

Y This machine is especially7 intended to operate in connection with ruling machines and to make certain the successiveV feeding of sheets has a mechanism not only for picking up the sheets, but for holding the paper pile even with the ruling machine table.

Other objects of the invention are apparent as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to thesame al; portion throughout the several figures of the drawings and of which there may be modifications. n

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the printing press feeder,

Figure 2 is an end view of the printing press feeder,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the vacuum feeder arm, and showing a portion of the vacuum conduit and driving -5G Y mechanism.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the sheet picking up arm,'the ports for connecting with the vacuum reducing. apparatus also being'shown with respect to the movable ports.4 -v f The frame of this vmachine hasithe two channel basemembers 1 and 2fwhich are conn nected together by means ofthe two cross lbolts 3 and 4, and spaced from each other by thetubes" 5 and 6' which are placed rover the boltswhenthey are secured to the base. The top vmembers consistof the two channel bars 7 and 8 `which eXtend parallel to the bottom members 1 and 2, and which are connected thereto by means ofthe posts 9, to 12 inclusive, each post having a bolt which secures it atits end to the several channel members 7, sand 1, 2. f

At the top the two channel members 7 and 8 are. connected ktogether by the two channel members 14 and15 which extend transversely of the frame.

Two slides 16 and 17 extend betweenthe posts 9, 10 and 11, 12 and they are raised and Ilowered by means of the threaded rods 21,- 22.

vThe paper table 18 is supported by vtwo cross members 19 and 2O which extend from one slide Y16 to the other slide-17.A AThe threaded-rods 16 and 17 are provided with bevelled gears, as indicated at 23, 24, which'` g bevelled gears are in mesh with the small bevelled gears 25, 26- on a transverse shaft27,

lsaid shaft yhaving the sprocket gear 28 thereon, `and alsois provided with a square place on the endto which thecrank 29 mayvbe applied., The shaft 27 isjournalled in the bearings 30, y31 which bearings are supported by thechannel members 7 and 8at a suitable height above the main frame. A f 1 i The sprocket wheel 28 is driven by means of the chain 33, which passes over the sprocket wheel 28 and. under the sprocket wheel' 34, the latter sprocketwheel being secured to the shaft 35, which shaft also carries the gear 36'.

The gear 36 is in mesh with a similar gear 37 on a short shaft 38 mounted in a bracket 39 on ythe side of the lower frame 2. The shaft 38 yalso carries a ratchet wheel 39 and this ratchet wheelis operated byn means of aslid- A able bar 40, which slides in the bearing 41 supported by the bracket 39, one end of which is connected to the arm 42 pivotally mounted on the short shaft 38 and which carries the pawl 43. said pawl engaging t-he pawl wheel 39. A spring 44 causes the slide 40 to always move to the right when permitted to do so by the lifting of the latch 45. The `slide 40 carries a stop 46 against which the latch 45 will strike whenever permitted to do so by the arm 47. The arm 47 is carried by a shaft 48 pivoted in two bearings 49, 50 which extend upwardly from the bracket 41. This .shaft 48 is turned by means of a short arm 52 which is connected to the rod 53 extending upwardly to a lever 54 on the top of the machine` This lever is bent over laterally7 so that it has a finger 55 which is carried by a small 56. which weight can be adjusted by means of the set screw 37 to bring it to a suitable position with respect to the pile of paper to permit the paper itself to regulate the motion given to the paper supporting table.

n order to prevent the shaft 48 from falling too far down. it is provided with a foot 48' which rests on top of the bracket 41 when it is down as far as it needs to be to permit the latrh to engage the stop 46.

At the end of the slide 40 there is a roller 40' which is in position to strike the upwardly extending member 40" of the bell crank lever 54. said lever being mounted in a bracket on the top of the channel member 2. This heil crank is connected b v means of the link 55 with a crank disk 56 on the shaft 57 at the too of the machine.

The operation of the table feeding mechanism is as follows:

Assuming the pile of paper indicated by P to have fallen too low. the rod 53 will raise the arm 52 and turn the shaft 48 so the arm 47 will lift the latch 45 above the stop 46, this will permit the roller 40 to Contact with the arm 40" and cause the wheels 39 to be shifted several teeth at a time. thereby raisina the paper table until the paper contacts with the pin 55 whereupon the stop 45 will be permitted to engage the stop 46 and latch the lifting movement.

At the top of the machine there are two bearing plates 59. which support a fixed shaft 61 and vacuum tube 62. This shaft and the vacuum tube are connected to a solid metal block 63 which has a port 64 in alignment with the tube 62 and which port is cut away on one side as indicated at 65 to permit the 'longer ports 66, 67 to 70 inclusive in the ing or advancing the striking of the stop 40 against the latch 45.

lVhen the paper supporting table is to be restored to the bottom position, or to take a new load of paper, the operator makes use of the cord 43 which is attached to the pawl 43 and lifts it out of engagement with the pawl wheel 39' whereupon he will operate the crank 29 to restore the paper table to the proper level.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows, but modifications may be made in carrying out the invention as shown in the drawings and in the above particularly described form thereof, within the purview of the annexed claim.

A machine of the class described comprising means to maintain a pile of paper sheets with the upper sheet at a predetermined level, a `segmental feeding arm having its peripheral side adapted to contact the top of the pile of sheets, means to continuously rotate said feeding arm, the peripheral side of said feeding arm having a plurality of spaced openings therein, and a port in said feeding arm having an air pressure below atmospheric and adapted to progressively register with each of the openings in the peripheral side of said feeding arm as the feeding arm rotates.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of November, A. D.

JOSEPH ZANETTI.

block or arm 71 to be supplied with the vacuum successively as this arm rotates past the lower side of the port 65.

A se( screw 46 enables the angle iron stop i6 to be adjusted in relation to the rod 40 so as to regulate the throw of the pawl by retardloo 

